Bottle-filling valve.



A. I; RICE III c. sA. ADAMS.

BOTTLE FILLING VALVE. APPLICATION msn APR. 4. 190s.

Patented Feb. 8,1916.

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l ALBERT J. sion AND CHARLES s. ADAMS, oF BUFFALO, NEW Yomc BOTTLE-FILLING VALVE.

Speotoatlon o! Letten Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1916.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that we, Anni-:wr J. Ries and Cuantas S. Anaus. citizens of the United States, residing at Bufl'alo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Fillin Valves; and we do hereby de- Clare the fol owing,` to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inventioi'i, such as will enable others skilled iii the ait to which it appertaiiis to make and use the suine.

Our improved valve is particularly designed for bottling milk` and we very particularlv aim to provide for the i uick lil ing,` of the bottles und at the sinne time to pievent the spilling the devices for controlling the flow of the milk of small miiiiber of parts and of such a construction that they may readily be taken apart for cleaning and present no surfaces on which the milk can become clogged.

In the drawings which illustrate a specific type of valve embodying several features of improvement, Figure 1 is a central section of the iniprovedj'alve showing it closed. Fig. 9. is a similar view showing thevalve opened by abottle and Fig. B isa section on line 8--3 of Fi.

The bottle iling valves f comprise a threaded plug 1 ada ted 'to be screwed in an a propriete threadec op nini in the bottom oi the milk tank a. Rising rom this plug are the two supporting rods 2. which carry at their upper ends a head 3 havin'ir a central perforation, and intermediate the head and the plug agiiide frame 4. Depending from the lower end of the plug` is an open filling tube 5. Passin centrally throu h the whole structure and t irough the centra perforation in the head 3 is a tube 6 having a small central passage and terminating nt its upper end in a screw-threaded enlargement 'i' which is screwed into the central erforation of the head 3 and may be adjusted and locked in position by the screw-cap 8. At the lower end of this tube is a closure 0 for the vent-tube, and it will be observed that b v the construction shown the closure Si is rigidly fixed in a definite position. Surrounding this tube 6 and having a considerablyv larger diameter is the vent-tube, or main air tube 10 which passes freely through an opening in the center of the guide-frame 4 anc has at its upper end a shouldered nut llwhich retains between its shoulder and theguide-frame 4 a compression spring'l.

ofthe milk, and to make l On this vent-tube 10 is formed, at an appropriate distance below the guide-frame 1, u flange 13 which by engaging with the under surface of the guide-frame i limits the extension of the spring .l2 and the consei nent upward movement of the vent tube l0. 'l`elcscoping on tho lower eiid of the dependiup, tubo 5 and making;r a close fit therewith is the closing tube 14. having the flange 15 and carrying at its lower end the annular rubber sto iper lli, adapted to fit the mouth of the bottle to he filled` Between the flange lo ou this elosingbtube und the plug*r l` is a coiled compression sprin" lli'. The lower end of the vent tubo 10 lias a cone-shaped enlargement ada ited to form a seat for the beveled lower e( ge of the closing-tube l-l. As will be seen from the drawings the. main air tube or venl-tube l0, und the. auxiliary air tube (l. may both be removed from the filling-valve structure by iiiiscrewing` the parts T, 8 and 11. The inode of operation of these parts will be understood from the examination of Figs. 1 and 2, the device heing| shown closed in Fi". 1 und open by the upward pressure of a bottle to i in Fig. 2. 1t will be seen that when a bott e is pressed upwardly against the lower end of the filln ing-valve, the rubber stopper 16 fits snugly in the mouth of the 'bottle and as the bottle is further lifted the closing tube 14 is lifted and the yspring 17 is compressed. During the first portion of the u ward movement the spring 1Q expands and ifts the vent-tube 10, thereby separating the lower end of the vent-tube from the closure i) and` openin it. Vhen the flange 13 engages the guiderame 4 the upward movement of the tube 10 is stopped and the further upward movement of the bottle lifts the opening tube 14 to open a f ree passage for the milk from the interiorl` of the tank tliroufh the tube 5 into the bottle. During the fill-ing of the bottle the nir escapes freely through the vent-tube l0 which may be of quite suflicient diameter to freely vent the'bottle and prevent frothing or churning of the milk.-

When the bottle is filled the milk will continue to flow up the inside of the vent-tube until it has reached a level iu that tub equal to the level in the tank, and if means were not provided for preventing the down-flow of this milk in the vent-tube when the bottle was removed` the milk would be spilled. In the present construction` however` this is pievented, since as the bottle is removed fli') the spring` 17 expanding 'moves down the bottle at all times, the object'of this being to relieve the vacuum` and allow the remova'l of the bottle from the lower'end of the-plug, since it has been found that with certain types of Stoppers making a clo'sel arrd rather deepV t, there is a tendency for this vacuum to cause the bottle to stick to the stopper and to be lifted from the crate when the crate is lowered.-

We considerthis construction of valve of particular value for the reason that the passage for the milk, when it, has been opened by the bottle, is entirely unobstructed, and contains no shoulders or4 projections on which the milk can cake, and also the parts in the pathl of flow of the milk are reduced to a minimum,.and all of the parts are substantial and may easily be separated from one another for cleaning. vvIt has', in our opinion, been demonstrated that the type of filling-valve 4having'a depending tube for the passage of the milk from the tank into the bottle, together with a central vent tube, is of great practical value, but this type Lof .valve presents some dificulties in operation because ofl the'fact that the milk rises in the vvent-tube. If the vent-tube is made large, a corresponding quantity of milk 'is spilled in this way, but, on the other hand, if the vent-tube is made small' the air does not pass freely from the bottle and causes a frothing or churning of the milk and in filling the bottles the upper portion will be filled with froth which must be allowed to settle or be shaken'down before the bottle can becompletely filled, thereby increasing materially the time necessary for the filling of thebottles.- With the present construction the passage for the outfiow of the air is amply suicient to'prevent'this churning or frothingl of the milk, but at the same time the closure 9 prevents the down-flow of the milk which has-'arisen in the vent.- tube until. the valve has been opened for the secondtime 'by a second bottle, in which case the milk flows into the bottle and is saved; and the second air tube 6 prevents the sticking ofthe bottle tothe valve when the main a1r tube is closed.

Whatl we claim is:

1. A valve for bottle-filling tanks comprising an unobstructed filling .tube dependmg from the bottom of the tank, an open frame rising in the tank above the tube, a

stem extending axially through-the fillingtube and supported in a fixed position by the `frame, al vent-tube movably supported in said frame and surrounding the stem, a lifting spring. for said vent-tube, an enlargement on the lower end of the stem constituting a closure for the vent-tube, a closing sleeve, entirely outside of and telescoping on the filling-tube andspring-p'ressed downwardly to seat on the lower end of the vent-tube and to carry down the venttube into engagement with its closure, against the action of the lifting spring and a stopper surrounding said sleeve and a apted to fit within the mouth of the bottle to be filled; substantially as described.

2. A valve for bottle-filling tanks comprising a filling-tube depending from the tank, an openy frame rising in the tankabove said tube, a stem containing an auxiliary vent passage extending axially'through said filling tube and supported in a fixed position by said frame, a main vent-tube movably supported in said frame and surrounding the stem, an enlargement on the lower end of the stem constituting a closure for the main vent-tube, a closing sleevetelescoping on .the filling tube and springpressed downwardly to seat on the lower end of the mainvent-tube and to carry-do`wn said main vent-tube into engagement with its closure, anda stopper surrounding said sleeve and adaptedto t within the mouth of the bottle to be filled; substantially as described.

3. A valve for lbottle-filling tanks cornprising a filling-tube depending from the. 1

bottom of said tank, an open frame rising in the tank above said tube, a stem extend- -ing axially through said filling tube and supported in a fixed position by said frame, a vent-tube supported in said frame by a spring which tends to lift the vent-tube, a stop limiting the upward movement of the vent-tube, an enlargement on the lower end of the stem constituting aclosure for the vent-tube, a closing sleeve telescoping on the filling-tube and downwardly to seat on the lower end of the vent-tube and to carry down said'vent-tube into engagement with its closure against the action of the lifting spring, and a stopper surrounding said sleeve and adapted to fit within the mouth of the bottle to be filled; substantially as described'.

4. A valve for bottle-filling tanks comprising a plug 1- screwed into the bottom of said tank, a filling-tube 5 depending from spring-pressed ably supported in fixed position in the head 3, a guide-frame 4, a vent-tube 10 supported from the guide-frame 4 by spring 12 which tends to lift the vent-tube, an enlargement 9 on the lower end of the stem 6 constituting a closurey for the vent-tube, a. closing sleeve 14 telescoping on the filling-tube 5 and spring-pressed downwardly to seat on the lower end of the vent-tube and to carry down said vent-tube into engagement with its closure, and a stopper 16 surrounding said sleeve and adapted to t Within the mouth of the bottle to be filled; substantially as described.

5. A valve for bottle-filling tanks comprising a filling-tube dependin from the bottom of said tank, a. vent-tu e centered inthe filling-tube, a lifting spring for said vent-tube, a closure at the lower end of the vent-tube, a closing sleeve telescoping on the filling-tube and spring-pressed downwardly to seat on the lower end of the venttube and to carry down said vent-tube into engagement with its closure against the action of the lifting spring, and a stopper surrounding said sleeve and adapted to fit within the mouth of' the bottle to be filled, substantially as described. l

6. In a bottle filler, a filling tube,- an lair tube, means for closing each of said tubes,

and 'a second air tube 'in open communication with the bottle at all times.

7. In a bottle ller, a filling tube having a discharge opening for the liquid, an air Atube for discharging the air from'the bottle, means adapted to close the liquid outlet and said air tube, and a"`second air tube open to the atmosphere and to the bottle at all times.

8. In a bottle filler, a filling tube, a main air tube, means for closing each of vsaid tubes, and a second air tube of` less capacity than the main air tube in o en communication with the bottle ,at all tlmes.

9. In a bottle filler, al filling tube having a discharge opening for the liquid, a main air tube for discharging air from the bot tle, means' adapted to close the liquid outlet and the main air tube, land a second air tube of less capacity. than the' main air tube in yopen communication with the bottle at ally times. Y

In testimony whereof We alx our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT J. RICE. l CHARLES S. ADAMS. Witnesses to signatureof A. J. Rice: WILLIAM H. DAvIs,

LAURA B. PENFmLD. Witnesses to signature of C. S. Adams:

GEO. D.SnAns, MYRoN S. HALL. 

